"X ` Man" wrote in message
m...

On 11/11/11 5:59 PM, Eisboch wrote:


"X ` Man" wrote in message
m...

On 11/11/11 7:18 AM, John H wrote:

Nope. According to his comments, I was 'stupid', because I let myself
get drafted.

My disdain is for the military establishment generally, the
"corporation," so to speak, and not those who wear the uniform, with
certain exceptions to the latter, you being one of them.
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That's not the impression you leave here Harry. You may not like John or
agree with him politically
or for other reasons, but you've often posed questions like:

"How many innocent Vietnamese did you kill?" and other quips to that
effect.

That's foul ball, IMO. John, me or anyone else that served in the
military didn't make policy.
We did what we took an oath to do. You may disagree with that, I might
even disagree
today, 43 years later and 43 years wiser, but at the time we did what we
were required to do.
It's not a subject to be taken lightly.

- - -

It is perfectly reasonable to question those who took place in horrific
events because they were following orders. The so-called "Nuremberg
defense" is not an operable option. All we did in Vietnam, really, is
prop up a right-wing dictatorship until it finally fell. Once Buddhist
monks starting setting themselves on fire to protest the government we
were supporting, you have to ask yourself, "What the hell am I doing here?"

Vietnam was not WW II. We weren't on the side of the angels.

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Explain that to a 19-21 year old brought up under the influence of the 50's
and early 60's.
I for one didn't know what the "Nuremberg Defense" was, let alone able to
spell it.

Eisboch